


a kind of magic

by achapterends



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Bickering, Established Relationship, M/M, Sigils, Witchcraft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 10:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11712279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achapterends/pseuds/achapterends
Summary: The first time Nick feels Louis trace weird patterns into his spine, he’s pretending to be asleep in the quiet room of their Soho bedsit.





	a kind of magic

**Author's Note:**

> this came out of nowhere really and it's very short but I hope it's enjoyable, at least. witch louis is a lovely concept imo

The first time Nick feels Louis trace weird patterns into his spine, he’s pretending to be asleep in the quiet room of their Soho bedsit. It’s a balmy summer night, so the window is open just enough to let the air in, and the curtains aren’t all the way shut, so the white glow of moonlight is what’s keeping Nick awake. It must be past midnight, judging by how quiet the streets have gone outside, traffic few and far between and only the occasional holler from a drunkard trying to find their way home. Nick’s eyes are closed and his breathing is steady and he’s relaxed in Louis’ arms, so it’s unsurprising that Louis would think he’s sleeping. 

Louis has one leg draped over Nicks’, and his left arm is wrapped tight around Nick’s waist. They don’t usually do this - Nick was born to be the big spoon, but when Louis wants something, he gets it. This is no exception. It might not be the most comfortable Nick’s ever been, but he likes feeling the warmth of Louis pressed up against him nonetheless.

He hardly registers the gentle movement of Louis’ soft fingertips against his back at first. It feels nice, soothing, so he doesn’t question it. He hopes it will lull him to sleep eventually, and paired with Louis’ breath against his neck, it might actually.

That is, until, Nick realises it isn’t any old shape Louis is tracing. It’s a  _ sigil _ . Now, Nick isn’t the most knowledgeable about the witchcraft his boyfriend practices. When they first started dating, he hadn’t the slightest what anything meant or why Louis was so into it, and he found it difficult to settle into a routine filled with burning incense at regular intervals and collecting crystals on window sills. It was all part of Louis’ charm, however, and it didn’t take long for Nick to fall for him. That meant accepting everything, including the witchcraft. Louis usually practices it in the study, where he keeps his candles and spellbooks and Ouija board, hardly ever in Nick’s presence and certainly never on Nick himself. Nick is pretty certain it isn’t malicious magic, but he’s understandably concerned that Louis might be trying to hex him.

“What are you doing, Tomlinson?” Finally, after Louis has finished drawing the  _ second  _ pentagram, Nick dares ask, voice low and echoey in the expanse of the room. He doesn’t really expect an answer, more so expects Louis to drop his hand and act oblivious. 

“It’s a protection sigil.” Louis answers as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “ _ Grimshaw _ .” He adds, for emphasis. 

Nick hums questionably. “Protection, eh? What from? Demons?” He’s a tease, so he puts on a ghastly voice, which earns him a pinch in the side that Louis must think is well deserved. Nick yelps and frowns, even though Louis can’t see. He likes to be petulant for the sake of it, sometimes. 

“Bad luck. Illness. Stuff like that.” Louis shrugs, and moves his finger upwards towards the nape of Nick’s neck. The skin is soft there, and he can’t help but shuffle forward and kiss it. He feels the shiver go through Nick.

“You don’t have to do that, you know.” Nick reasons, because magic or not, no one is invincible. He knows this and he knows Louis knows this, yet Nick is still endeared by the whole matter. 

Louis sighs and shifts his fingers across Nick’s upper back, the tips of them dancing over his shoulder blade. “I know. It makes me feel more at ease.” 

He hasn’t told Nick yet, but the whole reason he got into magic was for its healing properties. Of course there’s debate on whether it’s all bullshit, but if Louis can convince himself he has some power over protecting the people he loves, then he’ll take it. It started a year or so before he met Nick, right after his sister fell ill with chickenpox. He felt helpless, watching his mum fluster around trying to quarantine Doris away from the other kids and keep her comfortable and out of pain. Louis hates seeing his family suffer, and a quick google one evening turned up a lot of results regarding superstition and its possible preventative cures. Louis is open minded and mischievous and he never really went into witchcraft thinking it would get him somewhere. Here he is, almost two years later, swearing by its powers. It’s a little crazy to some people, but he likes his craft and he likes the good he can do with it.

“You really thought I was asleep?” Nick wonders out loud, breaking Louis’ train of thought.

“No,” Louis answers. “I can tell when you’re faking. I usually do this while you’re sleeping but I guess I wanted to show you tonight.” He finishes his drawing and presses his warm palm against Nick’s skin, feeling Nick relax into it. Nick turns towards him then and looks at Louis in the pale moonlight. 

Louis, who’s all sharp edges and soft middles and absolutely  _ breathtaking _ . Nick is in love, in love, in love. 

“Thank you. I know I take the piss out of your juju sometimes but I think it’s wonderful and I think  _ you’re  _ wonderful.” He kisses the tip of Louis’ scrunched up button nose. 

Louis preens, smiling sweetly. “Hmm, I’m not all that bad am I?” The compliment quickly washes over him and he realises that Nick sort of insulted his magic, so he swats him playfully. “And it’s not _ juju _ , Nicholas.” 

Nick sticks out his tongue, and it’s borderline ridiculous how childish the both of them are. Louis giggles, though, so it’s worth it. 

“Okay, love. Your magic is exactly that. Magic.” Nick settles down, expression serious. His eyes meet Louis’ and Louis grabs Nick by the jaw, pulls him in for a kiss. 

When Louis breaks it off, he pauses to idly caress Nick’s face. He wants to make a joke about his big head or his stupid hair but the fact is, regardless of all that, he still loves him anyway.

They stay like that for a while, just taking each other in. To an outsider it would probably look like an excruciating staring contest, but in the comfort of their queen sized bed, amongst the pillows and blankets and in each other’s grip, it’s nice.

Louis might not be an expert witch, not yet, at least. He has plenty to learn and refine, but if he can meddle with a few spells and sigils and hope it will keep his loved ones out of harm’s way, then so be it.

Nick’s acceptance of it is an added extra.

Louis is almost asleep when the thought hits him. He practically shoots up and points an accusing finger at Nick. “Did you think I was trying to  _ hex _ you?” 

“ _ No!”  _ Nick feigns defensively. “Okay, yes.” Giving up the gun comes easy to him, apparently. 

Louis considers this briefly, then flops back down on the bed facing away from Nick. “If I wanted to kill you I wouldn’t need to use magic.”

Nick opens his mouth to reply but all that comes out is a muffled whine. 

“Goodnight,” Louis sweetly sing songs. Nick huffs and puffs for a while, then resumes his position in bed.

This time, he’s the big spoon.


End file.
